The Hooblers are from Ottawa in Canada. Five years ago they released their
first record Can You Do This? Recently they have introduced I Hate Folk
Singers to the world of rock 'n' roll. Think of The Counting Crows without
too much crying, the Tragically Hip without a schizophrenic singer, and
Neil Young without a Neil Young, that is what the sound of The Hooblers
is about in a nutshell, ready-made guitar rock for hardworking men. Well,
it’s not just rocking for fun, because now and then The Hooblers pull out
all the plugs for an acoustic intermezzo and that’s when things are getting
really serious. The Hooblers’ I Hate Folk Singers is as an album diverse
and as much highly emotional, even though you've heard this song before.by Maurice
Dielemans

Public Domain, Dave Alvin's last album, was a mesmerizing collection of
American traditionals, taken straight from the heartland of this relatively
new and naïve country. The album wasn't a concept album as such, but
it was an album with a concept: Alvin breathed new life into long-forgotten
pearls, remnants of the American experience. Sadly, Out In California is
nowhere near as exciting or rounded out as its predecessor. First of all,
we're talking about a live album here, not generally known - and yes, there
are grand exceptions - to be the best-quality releases in an artist's canon
of work. Backed by his ever-reliable Guilty Men, Out In California shows
two sides to Dave Alvin. On the one hand, there's the ex-Blaster, the secret
rock'n'roller, yearning to tread the boards with amps cranked up to eleven.
Then there's the softer, mellower Alvin, singing with passion (the highlight
here being Blue Boulevard). The problem, however, with Out In California
is that - regardless of the split personality of the disc - the variation
isn't enough. Alvin's voice comes over as strained at best, and he's never
exactly been the world's greatest singer. The band are tight, but the lack
of passion and over-long songs make for a somewhat tedious listen. A shame,
really. Here's hoping Alvin releases his very own Ghost Of Tom Joad next…by Alex
Tobin

René van Barneveld used to play guitar with Dutch rock group Urban
Dance Squad, but it seems that he has found a new shelter behind pedal
steel with The Yearlings.

Showing the strong influence of cult
country rockers Uncle Tupelo, as well as an excellent understanding of
the 90’s guitar-rock vocabulary, The Yearlings’ long awaited debut album
echoes their American heroes in every single inch. Whereas this collection
of twelve songs perfectly demonstrates the art of reinventing music, The
Yearlings sound refreshing. Maybe the best thing about The Yearlings is
that they don’t try to be that inaccessible underground rock band, but
what you’ll hear is a young band surrounded by a natural radio-friendliness.
Here is how traditional country music and today’s rock ‘n’ roll are easily
brought together in twelve convincing pop songs. Of course, it all sounds
a bit like the cow punk of Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, especially the opening
tune Stick Around reminds us of Son Volt’s underrated masterpiece Trace,
but there is definitely nothing wrong with that. The Yearlings have studied
their heroes well.

It’s hard to find a trace of their
European roots, because the twangy vocals and honky-tonk music don’t give
a clue that their home is in the flat heart of The Netherlands. More than
a year ago I called them the most promising Dutch band in what is known
as alternative country. This album is for the non-believers. Play and enjoy.by Maurice
Dielemans

With an extraordinary and heart-warming cocktail of pre-war blues music,
kitschy country and authentic jazz samples, The Asylum Street Spankers
- an idiosyncratic collective from the heart of Texas - recalls the breeding
and good old days of Tom Waits. Though it’s anything like Waits, because
Waits’ melancholy and infinite sadness have been carefully replaced by
a weird sense of humour. The Asylum Street Spankers demonstrate how to
bring a smile into this world of heartbroken troubadours and losers. The
instruments that are used on Spanker Madness are anything but rock ‘n’
roll, such are the bizarre lyrics and The Spanker’s touch of extravaganza.
There is a ukulele, mandolins, singing saws, and even washboards can be
heard, but the most important instrument here is an ancient water pipe
to take the listener upwards. Sometimes you’ll be surprised by folk sounds
or an exotic melody from Hawaii. Anything seems to be possible with The
Spankers. The most remarkable tunes are High As You Can Be, the J.J. Cale-ish
Blade Of Grass, Winning The Warm On Drugs (with a melody that is borrowed
from Ghost Riders In The Sky) and Amsterdam, which song titles all reveal
that the green, green grass of The Netherlands was the main influence of
Spanker Madness. Once you are on higher grounds it doesn’t really matter
that there is a singer who suddenly starts laughing in the middle of a
serious song. This is not something for everyone.by Maurice
Dielemans